Pat looks for progress

Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club is located in North London. The club is also known as Spurs. Tottenham's home ground is White Hart Lane. The club motto is Audere est Facere (To dare is to do).

Pat Holland describes this year as the toughest his new batch of Under-19 players will have to face.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;After an encouraging Under-17 season last time around, they now kick-off their FA Premier Academy League campaign at Wrexham on Saturday.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;They will often come up against older, physically stronger teams this time around and have the added pressure of trying to secure their professional future.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;It all adds up, as boss Pat explained&#58; &#38;ldquo&#59;The boys did well last year but there are added problems because last year they&#38;rsquo&#59;ve perhaps played against teams with schoolboys and physically they would have been able to cope.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;Now they will meet sides with possibly a third of the side Under-19, a bit more experience and it&#38;rsquo&#59;s also an important year for them because they have to secure a third year at the club or a professional contract.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;There are those added pressures, a few of their mates will creep into the reserves and that might affect some players if they don&#38;rsquo&#59;t get that opportunity.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;I think this is the hardest year. This is when they grow up and it&#38;rsquo&#59;s important, as a group of coaches, that we help them as much as we can.&#38;rdquo&#59;&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;Pat has been pleased with pre-season though. Speaking before the side&#38;rsquo&#59;s last friendly against Palace at the weekend, he summed up&#58; &#38;ldquo&#59;Things have gone quite well in our four games so far.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;Blackburn was a quite a physical game for a first game which we drew 0-0, we then played QPR who had quite a young side out and we won that 5-0, that was a good work out and then we went to a tournament in Belgium, didn&#38;rsquo&#59;t fare so well as far as the final group places&#60;SPAN style&#61;&#34;mso-spacerun&#58; yes&#34;&#62;&#38;nbsp&#59;&#60;&#47;SPAN&#62;went, but used it as an experience and that was good for them. Everyone got something out of that.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;We played Billericay, played their first team, drew 2-2, but we were 2-0 up before I changed it around.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;We&#38;rsquo&#59;ve a tough game against Palace now and then a trip to Wrexham, who I don&#38;rsquo&#59;t know much about because they&#38;rsquo&#59;ve just come into the Academy.&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;ldquo&#59;It&#38;rsquo&#59;s all about development and they are a good bunch of kids, willing to learn and everyone is looking forward to it.&#38;rdquo&#59;&#60;P class&#61;MsoNormal&#62;&#38;nbsp&#59;&#60;&#63;xml&#58;namespace prefix &#61; o ns &#61; &#34;urn&#58;schemas-microsoft-com&#58;office&#58;office&#34; &#47;&#62;&#60;o&#58;p&#62;&#60;&#47;o&#58;p&#62;